In case you haven’t been paying attention to the mountains of coverage, Google has announced the “real” GooglePhone, the NexusOne. A Snapdragon sporting, AMOLED adorned, Android 2.1 touched smartphone, the NexusOne is taking the tech sites by storm. Several people have asked me my thoughts on the new phone, and I decided to put them here.
This just in – Google has now made their Google Maps Navigation solution available in the Android Market for *any phone* running Android 1.6 and up. Despite leaving Sprint’s HTC Hero out in the cold, this continues Google’s possible gamechanging of the GPS market.
We’re all still playing the waiting game to see if Google ports this solution off of Android to iPhone, WinMo, or WebOS. Could be interesting.
It’s interesting how married to Operating Systems people can become. My first computer was an Apple IIGS, but then we swiftly moved to Windows. I used to join in deriding Macs, then I got one. Mac OS, especially 10 and up, became my OS of choice. However, I still used Windows (and occasionally Linux) on a daily basis. I’m basically platform agnostic. A platform is a tool, and the one that works best for you is the best… for you. There is no perfect platform for everyone, for computer or phone.
I mention this because of discussions I’ve been having with some fellow techies. This week I finally broke down and bought a Pre. The reactions from my iPhone, WindowsMobile and Blackberry using friends (Sort of sad, but I don’t personally know a single Android user – no I’ve never met Justin) were almost comical in their predictability. I even got complaints about the Pre from a fellow Pre owner… because he’s really a Blackberry user. I’m not saying they’re wrong – I’m just saying the Pre is closer to my “ideal” phone than most of those other options (In fact, I recalled a doodle I drew ten years ago and it resembles the Pre to the point of scariness).
Every phone does its job in one way or another and every phone does it for someone. The cell market is really big enough for everyone. So how about we all just calm down and let people find the right solution?
So, why is the Pre my “perfect phone” (so far, anyway?)? Click the read link and find out.
[Warning – this thing is a fricking essay. I clearly have no life.] (more…)
While the HTC Hero and Palm Pre have been shown to not work on SERO, this writer was able to log onto the SERO web site and select a Moment without any sort of flag. This is very different from what happens when you select a Pre or a Hero – when one does so, the site flags it and tells you one must change one’s plan.
I’ll be spending my lunch break tomorrow testing this theory at a local Sprint store, but I just wanted to throw that out there.
it would seem to make for an interesting corroboration of Mordy’s theory that Sprint is making exclusive OSes (WebOS, Android+SenseUI), and making them require one set of plans, while having “generic” OSes (Palm OS, BB, WinMo) work on any plan.
Oh and side note: Has anyone tried a Samsung Intrepid? For Sprint’s first WinMo 6.5 device, the internet has been stunningly sent.
UPDATE: Looks like the answer is a resounding “no”. A long conversation with a reliable source has shown that yes, you can order the Moment, but it won’t activate. In some ways, that’s even more annoying than just not being able to order the thing. Teases. -Morts 11/4
As Morts already mentioned, with the new Verizon Droid launch, Google has announced a new mobile maps feature: Navigation.
No, I’m not talking about using Google Maps to calculate driving directions on your phone. I mean real bona-fide location aware turn-by-turn spoken directions that rival and even surpass the features of high-end standalone GPS navigation units.
Using your phone instead of a standard GPS navigation system on your phone isn’t new- Old-school smartphone owners (Palm & Windows Mobile) have had access to commercial software from Garmin and Tom Tom for years. If you don’t want to store maps on your phone, or just have a simple feature phone, many carriers licensed Telenav software for a nominal charge to your bill.
What’s interesting here, however, is that Google is offering this for free. From Verizon. Yeah. Verizon is OK with letting Google give you something without them getting paid for it.
This really could be the start of a new Verizon.
The question is, will Google make this available for other GPS-enabled platforms as well? What about the iPhone or Windows Mobile? Or even Blackberry?
Now, before I sound too excited and ahead of myself, let’s not forget that Bing! mobile does this as well, and is also offered for free (as long as you have unlimited data) on some smartphone platforms such as Windows Mobile. Bing even offers a similar voice-recognition feature for speaking your destination. However, the interface is harder to navigate and it doesn’t speak the directions as it follows you. It looks like Google has taken all the good of Bing’s navigation features, and combined it with everything good in a standalone navigation package, and slapped on some killer features that only Google can get away with for free.
The question on my mind, however, is whether or not Google will be releasing this for all the other mobile platforms that currently have Google Maps supported. Remember all the fuss and delays Tom Tom had trying to push the iPhone navigation package?
Imagine for a moment that Google releases their nav system for iPhone, for free, before Tom Tom can break even on their sales. Wow. Talk about game changer.
Holy cow, what a week. Every time Mordy or I sat down to write a post, something else happened. I’m going to try to condense it all into one week, going by topic. Bear with me: (more…)
So, turns out our initial rumor sources were true… The InstinctQ is in fact an Android device, and according to pics on phandroid.com, it sports the Sprint logo on the housing.
Also, if you’ve been following the Android politics, there are now two versions of the OS: One with Google branded services, and another without (such as the HTC Hero, which uses its own Sense UI instead of the Google one). The instinctQ appears to be a Google branded version, but a new rumor has surfaced that Sprint will also be getting a version of the HTC Hero, so it appears Sprint users will now have their choice of the Google branded apps or the critically acclaimed sense UI. Nice.
The real question that remains to be answered, however, is whether or not this will require the “Everything plan” to activate… The previous Instinct devices and the Palm Pre have already alienated grandfathered customers by forcing them to ditch their old plans for newer, more expensive ones if they want in.
The title “Instinct” implies that it will follow suit with the others in that brand, but there is a chance this one will be different.
Why?
The Palm Pre as well as the original Instinct and S30 have operating systems exclusive to Sprint. Like AT&T with their exclusive iPhone, users are more interested in the device than the service plan, so they can make whatever requirements they need to and people will still buy it. Android, however, isn’t exclusive. If someone were willing to switch their plan for an Android device, chances are they would have already jumped ship to T-mobile.
I sincerely hope for Sprint’s sake they don’t force those requirements on this phone… they need to keep subscribers more than ever.
Personally, I’m just excited to see a screenshot of the interface that has an EVDO icon already…
That means that it is finally happening!
Here’s to hoping that Android is available on all US carriers before the next quarter…
Honestly, ever since I saw Sprint on the Open Handset Alliance announced by Google, I had a feeling that they’d be the first with an Android powered handset. Sprint and T-mobile were the first 2 carriers I saw on the Alliance, and of the two, I figured Sprint has the best track record of getting new HTC phones first.
I’m glad T-Mobile got the G1 first, because in all honesty T-Mobile could use some limelight lately. But imagine the irony when I stumbled upon the following information, courtesy of Reuters:
Apparently, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse doesn’t think Android in its current form is ”good enough to put the Sprint brand on it.”
Really? I mean, come on, you’re kidding, right?
Sprint is too good for Android?!
Look at the devices Sprint HAS put their name on… the Sprint Mogul had a bluetooth bug and advertised features that weren’t available at launch (EVDO Rev A and GPS), yet released it as is. The Moto Q is generally considered the buggiest smartphone released by a major carrier, yet Sprint had no problem putting their name on that… but Android, who early adopters are absolutely loving so far, is too good for you?
Boggles the mind. Anyone else think there’s more to this?
Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave (and in all honesty, why would you do that?), you’ve probably heard about Google’s mobile OS, Android.
Last week, the tech media world was on the edge of their seats as Google hosted a press conference to introduce the first Android-powered production unit, the T-Mobile G1, to the world. The announcement and demonstration of the device, by smartphone veteran HTC, had geeks all over the world watching, blogging and salivating.
The OS looks impressive, and much more polished than the hacked version ported over to current HTC devices we mentioned earlier. Initial impressions by the media are also overwhelmingly positive, and many bloggers are already comparing the UI to the Apple’s.
However, I wish I felt the same way about the aesthetics of the hardware.
I’ll be blunt, the G1 looks like its about a decade behind in design styling.
Granted, the G1 is only the first Android powered phone, however there are still a few things I think could have been done differently.
What keeps the G1 from being perfect:
Design. Since the release of the iPhone, consumers are more interested in sleek polished designs than ever before. HTC’s own recent models, such as the Touch Diamond, are considered sleek and sexy, so why did HTC release the G1 which looks like a remote control from the 80’s? Word on the street is because HTC has been developing their prototype model, the “Dream”, since Google announced the Open Handset Alliance and got HTC in on it. Supposedly, this design was considered “cool” when they came up with it, long before Apple’s iPhone was released. Instead of creating a whole new device, HTC just released the Dream as the G1, with its body design as-is.
Lack of standard audio jack. Ok, plenty of phones don’t have 3.5mm jacks, but at least the smaller headset 2.5mm jack is considered standard too. HTC used to embrace the 2.5mm stereo + mic standard (which allowed a plethora of standard adapters and headphones available), however later switched all their devices to a single multi-use proprietary USB jack. The G1 is no different, and although it includes headphones in the retail package, you’ll need to buy an HTC-to-3.5mm dongle adapter to use those fancy Sennheiser earbuds or connect to your home stereo. Apple got this one right: if you’re encouraging people to use their phones for media, use a standard plug.
Lack of stereo Bluetooth. Ok, if you’re not going to have a 3.5mm audio jack, at least include A2DP wireless stereo in the software stack. One of the things that still bugs me about the iPhone is that Apple still doesn’t consider wireless stereo important. Meanwhile, even the free-with-contract phones that have lousy music applications have this feature. Sure, its not as commonly used as it should be, but its something I personally use an awful lot which makes me wonder why Apple chose to leave it out as well. At least Apple included a standard headphone jack… HTC/Google, this is a bad move. The good news? Since Android is open source, this should be hopefully corrected soon.
Lack of MS Exchange support. Once again, something that could be corrected soon with some third party developments. However, many people use Exchange to keep all of their information in sync, and this must be recognized if you want to convert users from other platforms. The upside is that at least Google introduced their Apps sync (see below).
No Video Recording. This is something that people complained about lacking in the iPhone as well. Once again, open development community = new added features always being added, but this is just another thing that should have been included at launch.
Now, many of these missing features are software related, and due to the evolving nature of the Android product, I truly believe them to be temporary. However, the fact that they are missing means that its not ready for people who currently use Windows Mobile or Blackberry devices, and regularly use features such as Exchange sync and music playback.
Now, in its defense, here’s what Google did RIGHT:
Full Push Sync with Google Apps. Yes, what they lack in Exchange sync is made up for with a push/sync for the rest of us. If you use Google Apps (Gmail, Calendar, Contacts, etc), your Android phone will sync automatically with it. This is essentially what Apple tried to charge $99 a year for with MobileMe before that service was considered somewhat of a failure.
Multi-Tasking OS. Based on a Linux 2.6 core, the Android platform can run preemptive multitasking. Like the Windows Mobile platform (and unlike Apple, Blackberry, and Palm), this opens up many doors for developers to write software that operates unseen in the background, such as GPS paper-trailing and file-server apps, not to mention the obvious benefits of having multiple things open and running at once.
Open Source. Perhaps the biggest selling point of the platform is that they are not locking it down, and making all aspects of the system and SDK open and available to encourage new and amazing applications. Yes, open source mobile platforms already exist, but Google is the first to do it who has the marketing strength to really build a working development community out of it.
Personally, I’m excited for Android. Its got a lot of potential, a smooth user interface, and an open development community. I’m currently using Windows Mobile simply because it has a large development community and a wealth of 3rd party apps, but don’t care much for the UI. Apple clearly has the smoothest UI on the market, however its limitations and closed development model make it absolutely useless to me. Android could be that perfect blend of form and function…. but until it supports at least Exchange and A2DP, I’m not knocking on T-mobile’s door.
Well, it certainly seems Google is no longer satisfied with simply living inside your web browser.
No, Google wants a more serious relationship with you than that.
Sure, they’ve virtually led the pack as far as Web 2.0 and application-driven websites (Gmail, Google Maps, Google Docs, etc), but now they want to also BE your web browser.
Google Chrome is a new open source and powerful web browser that is the first to be designed around JavaScript and Web 2.0 applications. In other words, instead of offering an HTML text-and-image based browser that has support for higher-end application driven content, Google has actually designed a mini-platform the other way around- designed for running content first, that happens to also support plain-old html.
Its all explained in this nifty comic-book style write up, quite effectively I might add.
The concept is quite simple: Google has been trying to play nicely within the limitations of current web browsers, so why not just invent your own that runs your applications smoother?
Flash back to the mobile industry for a moment. If you recall, Google has always focused on being mobile-web friendly, offering special versions of their Gmail, Google Maps and search engine pages optimized for mobile web browsers or WAP. However, since mobile web browsers are so severely limited in features, Google decided to break free of the browser and write stand-alone applications for Google Maps and Gmail that run on compatible phones.
However, since not all phones offer the same features or APIs, the Google applications differed slightly from device to device (some devices don’t support satellite imagery, others support voice-recognition for search).
So, Google took the next bold step and challenged the entire mobile industry by creating its own entire mobile Operating System, Android, instead of conforming to what is already out there.
That makes many people such as myself wonder- how far will Google go with this on the desktop? They’ve already created a Google Earth downloadable as well some other apps to break free of the confines of the web browser. Now, they have their own browser.
Many conspiracy theories emerged years ago that Google is planning its own desktop OS to rival Microsoft and Apple. This has mostly been dismissed as rumor long ago, however that was before Android and Chrome were announced. This could change things.
If Android had never become a reality, I would have said that Google doesn’t have the gall to attack the desktop market. But Android is already a big slap in the face to popular Smartphone platforms like Windows Mobile, Palm, Symbian, Linux Mobile, and Apple, all of whom Google has actually written applications for in the past. The announcement of Android left these folks in a state of denail and/or confusion… Some of them have been quoted as still calling Android “Vaporware”, refusing to acknowledge it as a threat. If I were them, my thoughts would be “but I thought we were friends?”
The desktop market COULD be next.
The interesting thing about all this is that I think this marks the first time that the desktop industry can look to the mobile industry for a possible taste of things to come. The Chrome team consulted with the Android team about their use of the Open Web Kit system when designing the engine for their browser. If Chrome and Android hit off with the success that they could have potentially, I’d say a Google OS is around the corner.
Google. First you lived in my webbrowser. Tomorrow, you may own the world. Lookout…
While the HTC Hero and Palm Pre have been shown to not work on SERO, this writer was able to log onto the SERO web site and select a Moment without any sort of flag. This is very different from what happens when you select a Pre or a Hero – when one does so, the site flags it and tells you one must change one’s plan.
As Morts already 
So, turns out our initial rumor sources were true… The InstinctQ is in fact an Android device, and according to pics on 
Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave (and in all honesty, why would you do that?), you’ve probably heard about Google’s mobile OS, 
Well, it certainly seems Google is no longer satisfied with simply living inside your web browser.
